CHAPTER VII. 



PREPARING AND ENRICHING THE SOIL. 



HAVING from choice or necessity decided on the ground on which 

 our future strawberries are to grow, the next step is to prepare 

 the soil. The first and most natural question will be, What is the 

 chief need of this plant ? Many prepare their ground in a vague, 

 indefinite way. Let us prepare for strawberries. 



Whether it grows North or South, East or West, the strawberry 

 plant is the same, and has certain constitutional traits and requirements, 

 which should be thoroughly fixed in our minds. Modifications of treat- 

 ment made necessary by various soils and climates are then not only 

 easily learned but also easily understood. 



When asked, on one occasion, what was the chief requirement in 

 successful strawberry culture, Hon. Marshall P. Wilder replied substan- 

 tially in the following piquant manner : 



" In the first place, the strawberry's chief need is a great deal of 

 water." 



" In the second place, it needs more water.'* 



"In the third place, I think I would give it a great deal more 

 water." 



The more extended and full my experience becomes, the less exag- 

 geration I find in his words. The following strong confirmation of 

 President Wilder's opinion may be found in Thompson's Gardener's 

 Assistant, a standard English work : 



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